Reece Shearsmith Is The New Second Doctor, Playing Patrick Troughton In An Adventure In Space And Time

The scope of Mark Gatiss‘ Doctor Who “making of drama” An Adventure in Space and Time keeps expanding.

Yesterday we learned that the it would reach at least as far as the second series and the Daleks’ invasion of London. Today The Radio Times reveal that Patrick Troughton, the second Doctor, will also feature, and that he’ll be played by Gatiss’ old League of Gentlemen colleague, Reece Shearsmith.

I’ve seen Shearsmith be very good in a number of things, from the short film Him Indoors through to Betty Blue Eyes. Often, if not always, he’s managed the same blend of vagabond charm and surprising menace that characterised the second Doctor. I do think he can pull it off.

Troughton first appeared in the fourth series of the show in October 1966. With An Adventure‘s story starting in the Summer of 1963 at the latest, in order to capture the making of An Unearthly Child, this gives Gatiss a span of at least three years to cover.

I would expect that things will be heavily weighted towards the start of that timeline, but we’ll see how far they go…

Could they even follow through to 1970, Spearhead From Space and the appearance of Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor? Gatiss himself would seem like a fairly good candidate for the role, if they could get the wig right.

A few folk, including members of the Bleeding Cool forum, have guessed that actors featured as incarnations of the Doctor in Gatiss’ drama will then also appear in the 50th anniversary special of Who proper. It’s a sweet idea, and I can imagine it’s something Moffat and Gatiss might well try to pull off.

And I must say, it did seem a little more likely when I heard of Shearsmith’s casting, and it’ll seem more likely still should we hear that Pertwee will be a character too.